| Ex-PM and his wife retained 52 gifts worth Rs800,200 without paying a single penny
ISLAMABAD - Former prime minister Imran Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi retained all the 112 valuable gifts worth Rs142.02 million given by foreign countries, either for free or by purchasing at throwaway prices of Rs 38 million.
The official documents available with APP reveal that Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi retained 52 free gifts worth Rs 800,200 without paying a single penny. The list of Toshakhana gifts received by the former PM between August 2018 and December 2021 remained a secret during his tenure, making the situation scandalous to reports of hiding the information from the tax authorities.
Toshakhana, a department under the Cabinet Division, maintains the record of the precious gifts given to rulers, parliamentarians, and officials by heads of foreign governments, states, and dignitaries as a goodwill gesture.
The then government had adopted the stance that the disclosure of any information related to Toshakhana would jeopardise international ties.
The list of gifts shows that the other valuables were kept by the couple after paying an extremely less amount than the assessed value. From seven luxurious Rolex and other expensive watches to gold and diamond jewelry including multiple necklaces, bracelets, rings, multiple diamond chains, an expensive pen and cufflinks worth millions, dinner sets, perfumes, and Oud fragrance, the couple retained everything that different states of the world were gifting to Pakistan.
The most precious gift was presented by Saudi Crown Prince Muhammad Bin Salman during the very first visit of PM Imran Khan to the Kingdom. However, to the irony, the Rs 85 million Graff wristwatches were retained by the former prime minister at mere Rs 20 million.
Below is the detail of the gifts received and retained by Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi, their value, and the amount paid by Khan to retain the gifts:
One Watch Rolex Gent’s Rs 900,000; a Rolex watch ladies Rs 400,000; an IPhone Rs 210,000; two gents suites Rs 30,000; one perfume Dolce&Gabba Rs 35000; two perfumes Bvlgari Rs 30,000 and Rs 26,000; one perfume Rubi Rs 40,000; one wallet Samsonite Rs 6,000; one wallet Aigner ladies Rs 18,000; and one ball pen Mont Blanc Rs 28,000 received on 9-11-2018. All these items were retained against a payment of Rs 338,600.
One watch (Graff) valued at Rs 85,000,000; pair of cufflinks Rs 5.67 million; one pen Rs 1.5 million; one ring Rs 8.75 million received on 18-09-2018. For these, Khan paid Rs 20.278 million.
One watch Rolex values Rs 3.8 million was retained after paying Rs 754,000 and another Rolex watch worth Rs1.5 million received on 1-10-2018 was retained after depositing Rs 294,000 in the national kitty.
Two kg Oud Rs 200,000, two bottles of Attar Rs 180,000; one Tasbeeh (Mouward) Rs 130,000 received on 19-06-2019. Khan paid Rs 240,000 to retain these items. One watch worth Rs 1,900,000 was received on 26-12-2019 and retained against a payment of Rs 935,000.
A Rolex watch Rs 4,408,000; a pair of cufflinks Rs 255,000; one ring Rs 230,000; unstitched cloth Rs 7,000; one necklace Rs 10,970,000; one bracelet Rs 2,430,000; one ring Rs 2,836,000 and a pair of ear rings Rs 1,856,000 were received by Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi on 29-09-2020 and retained against a payment of Rs 9.031 million.
One locket with chain (gold and diamond) Rs 269,350; one pair of ear tops (gold and diamond) Rs 111,800; two rings gold and diamond Rs 149,400 and Rs 272,350 each; and two bracelets gold Rs 235,500. These gifts were presented to the prime minister’s wife on 11-10-2019. A sum of Rs 544,000 was deposited in the government account against these items.Noritake dinner set (26 pieces) Rs 110,000 received on 4-3-21 was retained after paying Rs 40,000.
Another Noritake dinner set (34 pieces) Rs 100,000 and a pair of cufflinks Rs 20,000 were received on 4-3-2021 and retained after paying a sum of Rs 45,000. Bushra Bibi on 21-05-2021 also received a necklace worth Rs 1,359,000; earrings Rs 275,000; ring Rs 225,000; and bracelet Rs 4,000,000. She retained all the items against Rs 2,914,500. Olive oil and coffee worth Rs 104,000 and Ajwa date worth Rs 17,000 were received on 15-11-2021 and retained for Rs 193,000. Oud wood, two bottles of Oud and two robes worth Rs 254,000; dates, honey, olive oil bottles and coffee worth Rs 42,000, and a book Craft of Kingdom Rs 500 were received on 21-05-2021 and retained after paying Rs 133,250. Other gifts retained for free include one decoration piece priced Rs 20,000 received on 29-08-2018; one table mat valued Rs 30,000 received on 4-9-2018; one decoration piece (Rs 8,000) and one locket (Rs 20,000) received on 4-9-2018; Model of Makkah Clock Tower (Rs 25,000) received on 6-9-2018; a decoration piece (Rs 9,000) gifted on 10-09-2018; one wall hanging (Rs 8,000) and one decoration piece (Rs 25,000) received on 13-09-2018; one flower vase (Rs15,000) received on 30-10-2018; and one tea set valued Rs 3,500 received on 9-11-2018.